rands



C RANDEZ.

Flour Mill.

NO. 20,370. Patented May 25, 1858.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

o. BANDS, or PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

FLOURING-MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,370, dated May 25, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER BANDS, of Peoria, in the county ofPeoria and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Flouring-Mills; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanylng drawings, forming a part of this spec1fication, in which-Figure 1, is a vertical, longitudinal section of a mill constructed withmy improvements. Fig. 2, is an inverted plan of the upper stone. Fig. 3,is an inverted plan of the lower stone.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicatecorresponding parts.

My invention embraces, 1st, the arrangement for avoiding the heating anddeterioration of the flour and cutting up of the bran during the processof grinding, consisting of the upper and lower stones which are reducedfrom their center outward to mere rim grinding surfaces comparatively.Two annular non-grinding plates, one or both concave, placed over theenlarged eye of the stones, and a horizontally revolving fan or blowerarranged intermediately between the stones and crossing vertically, thespace existing between the same, as and for the purposes hereinafter setforth.

My invention embraces, 2nd, in combination with the above thearrangement for suspending the stones consisting of two rings, eachhaving four axes, and one belng arranged on the spindle of the stonesand the other between standards of the frame, as and for the purposeshereinafter set forth.

My invention embraces, 3rd, the arrangement for feeding the grain intothe eye of the stones in such quantities and with such a speed as willbe commensurate with the rapidity of the discharge at the perlphery ofthe stones, said arrangement consistlng of a sliding and revolvingspirally fianched cylinder carrying a vertically revolving frictionwheel which rests upon and slides over another horizontally revolvingfriction wheel driven by bands leading from the spindle of the lowerstone.

By the first feature of my invention, the

central or slow speed surface, which usually impedes the operation ofthe grinding and greatly deteriorates the quality of the flour, isalmost wholly dispensed with and the grinding surfaces are reduced to aperiphery or rim, which economizes bur surface and effects a greatsaving in dressing. The feeding room is enlarged and the grain betterdistributed and supplied to the outer or most effective grindingsurface, and owing to a direct blast being generated across or betweenthe surfaces the discharge through the stones is accomplished with suchquickness that the flour is delivered cool and without cutting up of thebran or deterioration of its quality. By the second feature of myinvention the stones or grinding surfaces adjust themselves so as tooperate with an equal and uniform action at all points, and by the thirdfeature of my invention the feed can be supplied very regularly and withsuch speed and in such quantities as the character of the wheat shalldemand in order to effect a successful and perfect grinding of the same.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the frame in which all the parts are arranged.

B, is the central driving spindle furnished with suitable pulleys a, b,for the purpose presently described.

C, C, are the stones or grinding surfaces. The lower one is suspended onthe spindle by means of the ring D, which is arranged within the eye ofsaid stone, being supported by four short journals 0, 0, (1, (Z, thejournals 0, 0, being simply for thestone to turn or vibrate upon andthose (Z, (Z, for the stone and ring together to turn or vibrate upon.The upper stone is similarly hung on four short journals 6, c, f, f,with the exception of not being attached to the spindle, two of thejournals being fixed in uprights g, g, of the frame and the other two inthe periphery of the upper stone as shown. By thus suspending the upperand lower stones both have a chance to give in all directions to anyinequalities in the distribution of the grain between their grindingsurfaces, and thus the grinding action throughout is uniform andperfect. It is also found from practice that by having the lower stoneto revolve a superior centrifugal force is obtained and therefore it isessential thus to suspend the upper stone in order to run the lowerstone to advantage. The upper and lower stones are reduced from theircenter toward their periphery so as to have greatly enlarged eyes, E, E,and to present mere rim grinddistance, in the direction of the arrow,that ing surfaces, comparatively, as shown. By thus constructing thestones most of the central slow speed surface is dispensed with and thegrain is consequently discharged more quickly and in a. cool state.

F, F, are two annular plates for cover1ng the enlarged eye of thestones. One or both of these plates should be concave and attached fastto the stones by being countersunk into the same so as to stand flushwith the two surfaces as shown. The upper plate has an annular space it,existing between itself and the spindle so as to allow for theintroduction of the grain to the surfaces and the supply of air to thefan or blower arranged between them, as presently described. G, is thehorizontally revolving fan or blower arranged between the plates F, F,and attached fast to the spindle B, as shown. The blades of this fancross the space existing between the approximating or grinding surfacesof the two stones, and in their revolution they force the grain bydirect action or contact out to the grinding surfaces, and then by adirect blast generated by themselves facilitate the escape of the flourat the periphery of the stones to such an ex tent as to insure thedelivery of the same in a cool state.

H, I, is the feeding hopper. Within the cylindrical portion thereof aspirally flanch ed revolving and sliding cylinder K, is arranged. Thiscylinder serves for discharging the grain supplied from the hoppergradually and regularly through the spout L, into the eye of the stones.

M, N, are friction wheels for regulating the speed of the cylinder K.The wheel M, is arranged on an extension rod 2', of the cylinder K, andN, on a vertical shaft 0, said shaft being driven by bands j, 7?,leading from the pulleys a, Z), of the spindle B, as shown.

P, is a clutch lever combined with the cylinder K by means of anextension rod Z, of the cylinder as shown. By this arrangement offeeding device it will be evident that if the spirally flanched cylinderfeeds too fast that by sliding it through the clutch a short it can bemade to feed slower, for by thus sliding it the friction wheel M, iscaused to occupy a place nearer the center of the friction wheel N, andconsequently has a slower speed imparted to it, and again if the feed istoo slow by shifting the spirally flanched cylinder in an oppositedirection to that indicated by the arrow the supply will be increasedbecause the friction wheel M, will be driven from a point farther fromthe center of the wheel N.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combined arrangement of the upper and lower stones C, C, reducedfrom their center outward to mere rim grinding surfaces comparatively,two annular nongrinding plates F, F, one or both concave placed over theenlarged eye of the stones,

and the horizontally revolving fan or blower Gr, arranged intermediatebetween the stones, and crossing vertically the space existing betweenthe same so as to force the grain with a direct action out to thegrinding surface and to give a direct blast, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. I claim the fan when constructed with its blades radial, and situatedin the specified relation to the space existing between the stones, soas to give a direct blast, and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the above, the arrangement for suspending thestones C, C, consisting of rings D, each having four axes 0, 0, cl, cl,or e, e, 7, f, and one being arranged on the spindle of the stones, andthe other between the standards of the frame, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the spirally fianched revolving and slidingcylinder K, friction wheels M, N, and spindle B, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

The above specification of my improvement in flour mills signed by methis twentyfirst day of April 1857. I

CHRISTOPHER BANDS.

Witnesses r G. YORKE-ATLEE, JAMES TAYLOR.

